Ravio-Sagne

This dish is insanely great for potlucks. Instead of other lasagnes that you can slave over for hours, you can now spend just 10 minutes throwing this together. And the best news is that it can be assembled up to 1 day in advance. After preparing it, simply cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator (be sure to remove the plastic wrap before baking!) so it can be baked just before serving. Make sure you find a brand of ravioli with as little fat as possible. Some are laden with tons of fat and calories, yet they don’t taste any better than those that are lower in fat and calories. Rosetto also makes a whole-wheat ravioli that’s delicious and just as low in fat and calories but packs 6 grams of fiber per serving (I buy it at Whole Foods). Though the bag is slightly smaller (22 ounces instead of 25), so you’ll need a bag plus a few more ravioli to make the recipe as written, it’s worth buying.

Ingredients

2 cups low-fat, preferably lower-sodium marinara sauce
25-ounce package frozen rectangle cheese ravioli (about 1 inch by 1-1/2 inches; no more than 4 g of fat per 9-piece serving; I used Rosetto)
6 ounces (about 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) reduced-fat, finely shredded mozzarella cheese (no more than 3 g of fat per ounce; I used Lucerne, found at Safeway chains), divided
1/3cup finely slivered basil leaves, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce evenly into the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Lay one-third of the ravioli (about 18 pieces) side by side in a single layer to cover the bottom of the dish. Spoon another 1/2 cup sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle one-third of the cheese and one-third of the basil evenly over that. Repeat the layering 2 more times beginning with the ravioli. Cover the dish with foil.

3.Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking an additional 10 minutes, or until the pasta is heated through and the cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes, and then slice into 6 equal pieces and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Each (1/6 casserole) serving has: 301 calories, 18 g protein, 43 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated, 26 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 689 mg sodium